Fast forward and rewind functions (often called “trick play” features) associated with network-based video-on-demand systems need to provide visual feedback to assist users in locating the desired play position. Some systems provide only time-based reference feedback, which requires the user to know the relative location of the desired playback point. Examples of such systems include video streaming software applications where a slider control allows the user to reposition the playback point at some relative point in time. These controls are frustrating to use because they typically require multiple trial-and-error attempts to identify the desired location.
Other systems provide feedback in the form of a rendering of the video at accelerated speed (in either direction), requiring the user to quickly press the “play”, “stop” or “pause” buttons when the desired playback point is seen. Such systems often result in over-shoot or under-shoot because of slow user reaction time and latencies between user input and the delayed reaction of the network VOD system. These systems are also frustrating to use because even when moving at accelerated speed, it can take a long time to reach the desired position if it is a long distance from the current playback position.
Professional and consumer video editing systems have long provided direct visual selection of video content positioning with frame-level accuracy either via computer software or jog-and-shuttle controls. However, to provide such capabilities via networked VOD systems would require expensive, low-latency high-bandwidth networks and server systems.
In view of the foregoing it would be desirable to provide an inexpensive and easy-to-use mechanism for play position previewing of video content.